Iran Repatriates 211 Afghan Prisoners Under Taliban Agreement

The Taliban administration has announced that 211 Afghan prisoners have been transferred from Iranian prisons back to Afghanistan. The transfer was carried out under a bilateral agreement between Iran and the Taliban, with the cooperation of Iran’s Ministry of Justice and a special committee on prisoner transfers.

According to a statement from the Taliban-led embassy in Tehran, the individuals returned were convicted inmates sent back in accordance with a prior agreement between the two sides. The nature of the charges and further details regarding the prisoners have not yet been disclosed.

The statement expressed appreciation for the cooperation of Iranian institutions in facilitating the transfer process. However, it remained silent on the legal status and future of the inmates upon their arrival in Afghanistan, a silence that has raised concerns among human rights organizations and the prisoners’ families.

This development follows reports last week that over 500 Afghan nationals imprisoned in Iraq and Pakistan had also been repatriated by the Taliban. The Taliban says it has signed similar transfer agreements with several countries.

Nevertheless, the lack of transparency in the judicial processes and the absence of independent oversight on the prisoners’ post-return conditions has sparked serious questions about the motives and implications of these repatriations.